Safety tablet dispenser



Sept. 3, 1963 R. s. CRABTREE SAFETY TABLET DISPENSER Filed July 3, 1961 "N A v .I|\ k N L F w my w /9 .M/ 9 p flw 5M v \m I N VE NTOR. B05551. A. CRABTREE.

Irma/4y United States Patent 3,102,662 SAFETY TABLET DISPENSER Russel S. Crabtree, 10 Sussex St, San Francisco, Calif. Filed July 3, 1961, Ser. No. 121,730 2 Claims. (til. 221-451) My present invention relates to a safety tablet dispensapplied to the neck and form a support for a tablet dispensing container in an inverted position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tablet dispensing device having manually controlled latching elements disposed in a position to render their operation di'fiicult when in the hands of a child or one unfamiliar with the mode of operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tablet dispensing device which may be applied to the neck of a commercial tablet dispensing container and locked thereupon against inadvertent removal from the tablet container.

Other objects and advantages will be in part evident to those skilled in the art and in part pointed out hereinafter in the accompanying descriptions taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein the invention is shown by way of illustration and not of limitation.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein like numerals refer to like parts:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical view of my dispenser with one-half of the view in section along one transverse vertical plane,

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1, with another half portion thereof in cross section in a plane at 45 from the section of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal plan view taken along line 3-4? of FIGURE 1 with the upper portion of the device removed,

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 3 looking in direction of arrows,

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line --5 of FIGURE 3, and

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary view taken from FIGURE 4 and showing a detail of the parts in another position of operation.

In the sale and use of medicinal and like tablets it is often desirable, particularly with tablets of a harmful character, to provide a means for use with a conventional dispensing container that will make possible delivery of the tablets, one at a time, from the shipping container and at the sane time provide a safety factor which will prevent the discharge of the container contents by parties such as children to extract tablets firom the container in an unauthorized manner. It is therefore a further and primary object of my invention to provide a tablet dispensing means for use with a commercial container having controlling latches so disposed that said means cannot be operated by a child under five years of age, and also provide a feature under the control of saidlatching means by which the device is firmly locked upon the container in a safe and effective manner and also under the control of the aforesaid latching means.

In the accompanying drawing, the numeral Iii designates in its entirety a safety tablet dispenser constructed in accordance with the invention. The device 10 con sists of a base or support forming member 11 having a centrally located upstanding cylindrical member 12 with an overhanging shoulder 13 secured thereto by means 2 of a screw 14. The overhanging shoulder 13 of the member 12 is seated in a top container supporting member 15 into which a commercial tablet dispensing bottle 16 is threaded in an inverted position. Arranged at diametrically opposite points for inward movement I provide two latching members 18 (that have exposed pressure pads 19 at their outer ends. As shown in FIGURE 1, these latching members 18 are biased into an outward position by means of springs 29 that are recessed in cavities formed in the base forming member 11. Each of these latching members 18 have an upstanding pro jection 21 that is adapted to move in a circular path in a space between the base forming member 11 and the top container supporting member 15.

As shown in the drawing, the upper or container supporting member 15 is provided with an annular recess 22 formed in its bottom surface, and positioned in this recess 22 there is an annular ring 23- that is adapted, as will be hereinafter pointed out, to be operated as a part of either the base member 11 or the top member .15, depending upon the operation to be performed thereby. This annular ring 23 is of a width such that there will be provided about its outer perimeter a free circular space Within the annular recess $2 in which the projections 21 of the latching members 18 may freely move when the latching members are held inwardly against the outward biasing action of the springs 251. When the latching members. 19 are operated in this manner by pressure simultaneously applied upon the pads 19, the bottom member 11 with its upstanding cylindrical member r12 will be free to turn with respect to the upper container supporting member 15. As a means for locking the base or support forming member 11 against rotation with respect to the upper or top member 15 and cooperating with the projections 21 of the latching members 19, the top forming member has two diametrically opposed notches 22 that extend outwardly from the recess 22 and into which the upstanding projections 21 upon the latching members 19 will be moved under the influence of the springs 20 when said notches 22 are turned into register with the latching members 19.

As shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawing, the bottom or base member 11 and the upper container supporting member 15 are provided respectively with alignable vertically extending tablet accommodating passageways 24 and 25, and as is more clearly illustrated in FIGURE 4 of the drawing, the upstanding cylindrical member 12 carried by the bottom or base member 11 is provided with four radially spaced slots or notches 26 that are adapted to be successively brought into register with the tablet accommodating passageway carried by the container supporting member 115. The notches 25, as here shown, are open for the reception of tablets dropping from the container 16 and as the notches 26 are successively brought into register with the passageway 25 of the upper or container supporting member 15, a tablet will drop downwardly thereinto. Then as the pasageway 24 of the bottom or base member 11 comes into register with the passageway 25, by a further turning of the base member, the tablets will be dropped one :at a time through one of the passageways 24 in the bottom member 11 and free of the dispensing device 10. At this point it should be mentioned that the upstanding cylindrical member 12 is splined uponthe base forming member Ill so that it will turn within the upper member 15 whenever the base member 11 is rotated with respect to the upper member 15.

Upon our new referring to FIGURES 3 and 4 of the drawing, it will be noted that the annular ring 23 which is disposed within the recess 22 of the upper member 15 is provided with an internal gear rack portion 27 with which a pinion gear 28 carried by a shaft 29 engages. This shaft 29, as is more clearly indicated in FIGURE 4, is iournaled in the upper supporting member 15 and at its upper end this shaft is cut away for one-half its diameter as at 30, so that as here shown the extending portion jecting end 31 of the shaft 22. Then as the shaft 29 is turned by an operation of the pinion 28, as will herein after appear, the container 16 will be released for re moval from the dispensing device it as indicated in FIG- URE 4 of the drawing.

In addition to having the gear rack portion 27, the annular ring 23 is also shown as having a movement limiting slot 34 in which a pin 35 carried by the upper member projects, and in addition to this slot 34 the annular ring 23 is also provided with two holes 35 and 36 that extend completely therethrough. Normally extending into the hole 35 there is a spring biased retaining pin 37. As illustrated in FIGURE 5 of the drawings, this pin 37 is biased into an operative position by a compression spring 38 and when in this position the annular ring 23 will be connected for rotation with the upper member 15. Under these conditions the pinion 23 will be rendered inoperative with respect to the gear rack 27 of the ring 23 and in this position the container locking shaft 29 will be in the position shown in FIGURE 6, and the bottom member 11 will be free to turn relative tothe upper member 15 and thus bring its pill dispensing passageway 24 into registerwith the pill dispensing passageway 25 of the upper member to thus permit a tablet to drop free of the device It With the pin 37 in locking relation with the annular ring 23 as shown in FIGURE 5, the rack gear 27 willbe held stationary with respect to the pinion 28 carried by the shaft 29. In order to render the gear rack 27 and the pinion 28 operative, my inven- I tion contemplates the provision of a further factor of safety, which includes the provision of a pin displacing plug 39 that is carried by the bottom member 11 and held in a neutralposition by a spring 4i). This pin displacing plug 39 is positioned to register with the holes 35 and 36 in the ring '23 and when brought into register with the opening 35 in ring 23 and inward movement thereof by pressure upon an operating head 41, the ring retaining pin 37 willbe displaced while at the same time the plug 39 will be moved into driving relation with the ring 23. Under these conditions with the latches 18 held in their released position and the driving pin 39 in connection with the annular ring 23, it will be seen that a counterclockwise rotation of the bottom number 11 will result in movement of the rack 27 to thus impart a rotary movement to the pinion 28 that will bring the upper endof the shaft 29 into its container releasing position as shown in FIGURE 4 of the drawing. At the end of this counterclockwise rotation of the annular ring 23 the retaining pin 37 will engage with the opening 36 of the ring 23 and thus lock the shaft 29 in the position as here shown.

It is believed that the operation of a device constructed in accordance with my invention will be fully understood from the above description. However, by way of recapitulation, it may be added that under normal circumstances, with the tablet dispensing bottle or container 16 threaded into the upper member 12, tablets may be dispensed therefrom by simply operating the latching members 18 by the simultaneous application of pressure upon the thumb and finger pads 19 and a turning thereof with the bottom member 11 to bring the tablet accommodating passageways 24 and 25 carried by the bottom and upper members into register. This operation by a turther turning will also bring the notches 26 at the enlarged end of the cylindrical member 12, which is splined upon the bottom member 11, into register with the passageway 25 for a subsequent tablet drop. Under normal operating conditions a turning of the bottom member 11 with respect to the upper member 15 will cause a tablet to be released as the passageway 24 and the notches '26 in the cylindrical member 12 are alternately brought into register with a similar passageway 25 formed in the upper member 15. The safety factor in this instance consists of reliance on the simultaneous operation of the latches 13, which because of their spacing renders this operation cliflicult by an infant or uninstructed person.

,As to the other aspect of the invention, in order to prevent a removal of the conventional bottle 16 from the dispenser it with tablets therein, there is a further safety factor which comprises the operation of the two latching members 18 to permit a turning of the bottom' member 11 sufficiently to bring a driving pin 39 into register with the hole 35 of the rack carrying annular ring 23 and a simultaneous operation of the pin displacing plug 39 by pressure upon its thumb pad 41. This will serve to displace the retaining pin 37 which as shown in FIGURE 5 will be in a position to lock the annular ring 23 to the upper member 15. Following this step it will be understood, with the displacing plug 39 in engagement with the annular ring 23,'that upon a turning of the bottom member 11 with respect to the upper member 15 will result in relative movement between the gear rack 27 and the pinion 28, and upon a half revolution of the pinion 28 the shaft 29 will be rotated into the position as shown in FIGURE 4, where the dispensing container or bottle 16 may be screwed free of the dispensing device 150. Following this operation and with a full container 16, this operation will be reversed and the retaining pin 37 willbe finally projected into the hole 35 from which this pin was previously displaced. The provision of the hole 36 in the annular ring 23 provides for a similar locking of the .ring 23 to the upper member 15 while the shaft 29 is in its container releasing position as shown in FIGURE 4 of the drawing.

,While I have, for the sake of clearness and in order to disclose my invention so that the same can be readily understood, described and illustrated a specific form and arrangement, I desire to have it understood that this invention is not limited to the specific form disclosed, but may be embodied in other ways that will suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art. It is believed that this invention is new and all such changes as come within the scope of the appended claims are to be considered as part of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim and desireto secure by Letters Patent is: I

'1. In a safety tablet dispenser, the combination of a supporting base, a central upstanding post mounted upon said base having an enlarged upper portion with vertically extending tablet accommodating slots arranged in equally spaced relation thereabout, an upper relativelyrotatable rnember secured to said supporting base by said upstanding post having a threaded opening at its top into which a tablet dispensing bottle is threaded, said threaded opening having a key-way cut across the threads thereof, two oppositely extending outwardly biased latching members carried by said supporting base engageable in their outward positions with portions of said upper member for holding said supporting base and said upper member against relative rotation, said latching means being adapted and arranged 'When moved inwardly against their bias to release and permit relative rotation between said supporting base and said upper member, said upper member having an annular recess in its under surface, an annular ring disposed Within said recess, having gearteeth formed throughout a portion of its inner perimeter, a pinion gear mounted in mesh with the gear teeth of said ring, an upstanding shaft upon which said pinion is keyed having one-half its diameter cut away and extending within the limits of the threads in the container accommodating threaded opening of said upper member, means for 1ocking said ring against relative movement with respect to said upper member when said device is in normal operation, and means for locking said ring to said supporting base for relative movement with respect to said upper member under other conditions of operation, and means for releasing said first locking means and rendering said second locking means effective, whereby said ring will move with said base member and impart E8. one-half revolution to said pinion gear and supporting shaft and displace the extending half portion thereof out of interfering relation with the thread-s upon the threaded neck of said tablet dispensing bottle when said supporting base is turned relative to said upper rotatable member.

2. In a safety tablet dispenser, the combination of a supporting base, a central upstanding post mounted upon said base having an enlarged upper portion with vertically extending tablet accommodating slots arranged in equally spaced relation thereabout, an upper relatively rotatable member secured to said supporting base by said upstanding post having a threaded opening at its top, a tablet dispensing bottle threaded into said opening, said threaded opening and said tablet dispensing bottle having key-ways cut across the threads thereof, two oppositely extending outwardly biased latching members carried by said supporting base engageable in their outward positions with portions of said upper member for holding said supporting 'base and said upper member against relative rotation, a locking member extending within the key-Ways cut across the threads of said tablet dispensing bottle when mounted upon said upper member, and means for operating said locking member for movement out of interfering relation with the key-way in the threaded neck of said tablet dispensing bottle by rotation of said supporting base relative to said upper container supporting member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 880,723 Cumming Mar. 3, 1908 2,148,721 Avstreih Feb. 28, 1939 2,886,209 Lenner May 12, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 2,799 Austria July 15, 1900 

1. IN A SAFETY TABLET DISPENSER, THE COMBINATION OF A SUPPORTING BASE, A CENTRAL UPSTANDING POST MOUNTED UPON SAID BASE HAVING AN ENLARGED UPPER PORTION WITH VERTICALLY EXTENDING TABLET ACCOMMODATING SLOTS ARRANGED IN EQUALLY SPACED RELATION THEREABOUT, AN UPPER RELATIVELY ROTATABLE MEMBER SECURED TO SAID SUPPORTING BASE BY SAID UPSTANDING POST HAVING A THREADED OPENING AT ITS TOP INTO WHICH A TABLET DISPENSING BOTTLE IS THREADED, SAID THREADED OPENING HAVING A KEY-WAY CUT ACROSS THE THREADS THEREOF, TWO OPPOSITELY EXTENDING OUTWARDLY BIASED LATCHING MEMBERS CARRIED BY SAID SUPPORTING BASE ENGAGEABLE IN THEIR OUTWARD POSITIONS WITH PORTIONS OF SAID UPPER MEMBER FOR HOLDING SAID SUPPORTING BASE AND SAID UPPER MEMBER AGAINST RELATIVE ROTATION, SAID LATCHING MEANS BEING ADAPTED AND ARRANGED WHEN MOVED INWARDLY AGAINST THEIR BIAS TO RELEASE AND PERMIT RELATIVE ROTATION BETWEEN SAID SUPPORTING BASE AND SAID UPPER MEMBER, SAID UPPER MEMBER HAVING AN ANNULAR RECESS IN ITS UNDER SURFACE, AN ANNULAR RING DISPOSED WITHIN SAID RECESS, HAVING GEAR TEETH FORMED THROUGHOUT A PORTION OF ITS INNER PERIMETER, A PINION GEAR MOUNTED IN MESH WITH THE GEAR TEETH OF SAID RING, AN UPSTANDING SHAFT UPON WHICH SAID PINION IS KEYED HAVING ONE-HALF ITS DIAMETER CUT AWAY AND EXTENDING WITHIN THE LIMITS OF THE THREADS IN THE CONTAINER ACCOMMODATING THREADED OPENING OF SAID UPPER MEMBER, MEANS FOR LOCKING SAID RING AGAINST RELATIVE MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT TO SAID UPPER MEMBER WHEN SAID DEVICE IS IN NORMAL OPERATION, AND MEANS FOR LOCKING SAID RING TO SAID SUPPORTING BASE FOR RELATIVE MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT TO SAID UPPER MEMBER UNDER OTHER CONDITIONS OF OPERATION, AND MEANS FOR RELEASING SAID FIRST LOCKING MEANS AND RENDERING SAID SECOND LOCKING MEANS EFFECTIVE, WHEREBY SAID RING WILL MOVE WITH SAID BASE MEMBER AND IMPART A ONE-HALF REVOLUTION TO SAID PINION GEAR AND SUPPORTING SHAFT AND DISPLACE THE EXTENDING HALF PORTION THEREOF OUT OF INTERFERING RELATION WITH THE THREADS UPON THE THREADED NECK OF SAID TABLET DISPENSING BOTTLE WHEN SAID SUPPORTING BASE IS TURNED RELATIVE TO SAID UPPER ROTATABLE MEMBER. 